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A podcast about video games that respect your time
Raygan: Welcome back to the Short
Game Show, but short video games,
games that respect your time.
I'm Reagan Kelly, and I'm joined this week
by all three of the fantastic co-hosts.
Nate: Nate Heininger,
Shane: And Shane Kelly.
Raygan: And this week, uh, we are
doing our Game of the year thing.
So,
Nate: woo.
Raygan: been a weird year for the show.
Uh, as you well know, if you have
listened to the show for, uh, a while.
Um, lots of our listeners have, we've
been around for 10 plus years now.
Thank
Nate: Wow.
Laura: Hey.
Raygan: to have stuck around
for all or some of that time.
Uh, cheers.
Everyone
Laura: Mm-hmm.
Raygan: to the short game, uh, a a
a venerable podcast that has had a
bit of an off year as, uh, anyone
listening might have been able to tell.
Um, we really covered games for
the first two thirds and then we
kind of fell off the or I don't
know if that's an appropriate
Shane: Yes, we fell off the
Nate: we fell off the wag.
Raygan: Yeah.
Shane: We, converted it into
a drinking podcast and, uh,
Raygan: Well,
Shane: come up for
Raygan: were a lot of reasons for that.
We talked about them
on some other episodes.
We don't need to go into them now.
Um, I will say that what has been
very exciting recently is that
we are rethinking the show and
we're calling it Short Game Season
Nate: two.
We learned.
Raygan: baby.
Nate: We learned a lot.
We learned a lot in the first
season, and it's time to take
those lessons and apply 'em.
We're on to bigger and
better things season two
Raygan: will make it known I was
against calling it season two.
Laura: we only need
Raygan: silly.
Laura: and 450 episodes.
Nate: Uhhuh.
Laura: technically, but,
Nate: Some shows don't get their
legs until their second season.
Next generation famously.
Shane: Mm-hmm.
Nate: Uh, parks and Rec quite famously.
You know, a lot of good shows don't
really figure it out until season two,
and I think 450 episodes is about the
right amount for the first season.
So I'm, I'm proud of the season two label,
Reagan, and I think it's not silly at all.
Raygan: Oh, it's not, in fact, you know,
many of us know is often don't do much
of anything useful until they're 10.
And, and then, you know, look at us now.
Nate: Look at us now.
Raygan: We're, uh, we're ready to go.
So,
Nate: was, yeah, I was a
real dirt bag when I was 10.
Raygan: rethinking the format.
Shane: Mm-hmm.
Raygan: this
Shane: We're gonna cover
all the, from soft games.
Raygan: From
Nate: Yeah.
Yeah.
Raygan: actually.
Yeah, we're gonna
Nate: It's a long game now.
Raygan: uh, each beat.
We're gonna, we're gonna make sure
we go into all, uh, strategic depths
about every one of the bosses.
Nate: Mm-hmm.
Raygan: yeah, so I'm excited to get into,
uh, uh, the Armored core series before
Shane: Mm-hmm.
Nate: Yeah.
Raygan: any of the others.
Um, so.
The short game.
Uh, we,
Laura: Podcast
Nate: a transition.
Yep.
Raygan: I
Nate: two.
Shane: it in your Apple Podcasts app.
Raygan: at this now.
No.
So we, we've done a short game, game
of the year, episode at the end of
every year and, uh, it certainly felt
weird not to do one this year, even
though we have a, a slightly odd, uh,
smattering of games to talk about.
Um,
Shane: We did play some
real fantastic bangers.
Nate: Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Raygan: so we decided we would do our
regular short game game of the year.
uh, a little bit more table
setting before we get into things.
So the, the new format thing that I
mentioned, we are doing a, uh, we're,
we're gonna do an alternating weeks thing.
So we're gonna be covering, uh,
a game on every alternate week.
And the other week is basically gonna
be our, uh, what's making us happy.
This week format.
Um, and, uh, you know, in the past
we've done that as a single episode, uh,
and this time we're gonna be breaking
them up, and I believe the plan is
to make those what's making us happy.
Episodes Patron exclusive is, am
I, am I still correct about that?
Yeah.
Nate: Yeah, so every other week
we'll be doing, uh, something
exclusive on the Patreon.
Something like making us happy
or more topic based thing.
Raygan: Mm-hmm.
Nate: Um, you know, just a, a looser
framework for those episodes so that
we can refocus the show on games and
get you like a good full episode every
other week where most of us have had
more time to play the whole game.
I think that's something that we've
all been running into doing a episode
every week on a full game, even
though they're short games, has,
uh, not, uh, melded well with our,
Shane: when
Nate: our lives.
Shane: game, great, you know, they're just
not making a whole lot of two hour games.
They, you know, when you're looking
for the short games, a lot of
'em, or they're, they're a 10 hour
Nate: Yeah.
Shane: And if you do the math,
you know, if you're a guy with
like three kids like Reagan,
Nate: Uhhuh,
Shane: uh,
Nate: doesn't Reagan have
like five or six kids?
I thought
Shane: yeah.
Nate: it straight
Raygan: secret kids.
Nate: Uhhuh,
Shane: huh.
Nate: but the
Shane: I'm talking about
the family that y'all know.
Nate: mm-hmm.
Ah, sure.
Shane: but the,
Nate: way.
Shane: yeah, so, so if you, if you
do the meth on that, like you get
some, you get some pretty slim time.
So, and that's true even for me with
just the one, uh, and life, life goes on.
Uh, Laura, that's why
you're, our MVP is because
Nate: our Rock.
Shane: you're
Nate: Uh,
Shane: least Proative member.
Um.
Laura: it
Nate: what a
Laura: helps.
for
Nate: A what a.
Laura: playing to be honest.
Nate: Bizarre metric.
Uh, so I, I think it'll work better
for us and hopefully for the listener
as well, because we've been pretty
inconsistent for a little while.
And even when we were consistent,
it's pretty inconsistent on who
can be on every episode, how much
we've actually played the game.
And so by spreading it out a
little bit more, we can have more
time to play the game and come
in a little bit more prepared.
And then we're still gonna have,
uh, cool and interesting things to
talk about outside of the games.
It's just gonna be behind
the Patreon paywall.
So if you're a patron, thank you.
If you're not,
Shane: Mm-hmm.
Nate: you go.
Raygan: Also one
Nate: It's Christmas season.
Raygan: uh, part of the other part of
the plan is that we wanna be able to
tell people about what is coming up on
the show a little farther in advance.
So where there's a little more
notice so that people who are
Nate: Yep.
Raygan: playing along with us and
having that discussion, uh, can do so.
And another part of that is that
we are opening up the discord.
So in the past, our main
benefit for our Patreon.
access to our Discord community,
which we've been really happy
with how that turned out.
We love our Discord community.
The folks that chat on there shouts
out to all of our friends on Discord.
Nate: Yes,
Raygan: we also wanted to
open that up more, um, and.
Shane: nicest spot on my internet.
Raygan: So if you
Nate: absolutely.
Raygan: to talk about short games,
interesting games, uh, whatever
gaming stuff that you're interested
in, if you sort of share an
aesthetic and interest level with
us, um, come join us on the Discord.
Uh, it's now open, it is
linked on our various pages.
Um, so if you go to Short Game FM
or any of those other places, you
can get a link to join our Discord,
and you can do that without.
Joining our Patreon, if
that is what you'd like.
We also, you know, we love our patons,
we encourage you to do the Patreon, um,
but we're now opening that up to anybody.
If you're a dick, we're gonna
kick you out, but otherwise,
uh, it's open to everybody.
Um, and we're excited about that.
Um, but we are, we're gonna be adding
additional content to, you know,
non, uh, other, you know, the topic
based episodes are gonna be our main
discord, uh, main, excuse me, main,
uh, benefit for patrons going forward.
So if you want more content from us.
It will be part of the Patreon.
Um, if you just want to
chat about games, join us.
We would love to hear from you and it's
a good community, especially if you just
want, you know, a ping once every couple
of, uh, days telling you about like
the great new game that's coming out.
Um, and have a little chat about
it with some like-minded people.
So, um, join us on the Patreon Discord.
I'm gonna, I'm gonna call it
Patreon Discord, for a while.
It's just
Shane: Formerly.
Raygan: anybody.
Nate: I really think it's the future
of social media is these sorts of
com, you know, self-built communities.
Um, I, I don't know.
I think this whole group, we're
all pretty far off of, uh, most
social media at this point.
Um,
Shane: Mm-hmm.
Nate: I've said it before on this
show, and I'll say it again, like.
Pretty much the ex, the full extent
of my social media experience at this
point is on like Discord servers and
the short game is a huge part of that.
And so, uh, I, it's a great place
to be and, um, I think we would be
Shane: deeper discussion about social
media with you guys at some point.
Maybe we can make that one of our topic
Nate: Oh, sure.
Laura: please.
Shane: but yeah, my, I am, I'm
off of nearly all social media.
It's been an improvement with the
exception of, of, uh, my Instagram
where I've gone weirdly, hyper-local
and I am basically only getting
notifications from things that are
happening, uh, within cycling range
Nate: Shane Duck.
Laura: Wonderful.
Raygan: I, I have gone weird too.
Um, I'm getting my social media from
books I'm holding up to the camera
now, for those of you who are not.
Shane: Oh my God.
The drill book.
Raygan: of, uh, drill Official Mr.
10 years anniversary collection,
Shane: I.
Raygan: a print edition of, uh,
all of the classic drill tweets.
Nate: Oh,
Raygan: um, you may not
Nate: Only
Raygan: my copy has many tabs,
Nate: you are my favorite person.
Reagan.
This is,
Raygan: I, you know, I found I'm,
I'm off of the social media sauce.
Shane: two.
Reagan
Nate: no,
Shane: of the right out of the book.
Raygan: let
Nate: we can't do this.
We can't do this.
This is the game of the year episode.
Laura: say we should, we should
start game of the year, but I will
say proudest moment on the internet
was when Drill retweeted me about
Nate: Oh, that's good.
That's good.
Shane: About what?
Laura: ca uh, the Keisha Warrior
princess game that I think for Pettine,
Shane: Okay.
Laura: yeah.
Shane: Right.
Laura: yeah, I don't know how it got to
the eyes of drill, but for a moment I was.
Cent on Twitter, and then I
Shane: Mm-hmm.
Nate: Good word.
Laura: I cannot be retweeted by drill.
Nate: Listen, the only drill.
Raygan: kill a lot of people, but it also
Nate: My God.
Raygan: people to get to work on time.
So it's impossible to
say if it's bad or not.
Nate: Listen, the only drill we need
to be talking about on this show is Mr.
Driller's drill land.
Okay.
I don't this.
Shane: right.
Laura: should we give outward,
Nate: Yeah.
Raygan: An
Nate: Well, speaking of drill,
Raygan: with the
Nate: this is a good
Raygan: award that we give out
every year since we came up with
it, which was pretty early, I think.
I
Shane: prestigious.
Raygan: prestigious, uh, the
short game Dirt Bag of the Year.
For those who may not know, game
dirt bag of the year is an award
given out to a character in games,
that the dirt bag.
and philosophy.
Uh, it, the, the, the true dirt bag
character that speaks to our souls
Nate: Yeah.
Raygan: an American people
Nate: Sure.
Raygan: Because
Nate: yeah,
Raygan: this is not,
Shane: Mm-hmm.
Raygan: thing.
All, all nations have dirt bags.
Um.
Shane: are, you know, for, for
the video game character who is
Nate: sure.
Unhinged maybe.
Shane: ideally
Laura: Yeah.
Shane: a liar,
Nate: Yeah.
Shane: um,
Laura: yeah.
Shane: I, I would hope.
Someone that you feel a deep contempt for.
Um, that's, that's what we're looking
for and we, we really try to find
Raygan: Dirt bags aren't
Shane: the,
Raygan: although they can be
Shane: mm-hmm.
Laura: contempt.
Yes, but love too.
Raygan: when you see one.
It's really
Nate: Ah,
Raygan: define, and that's
Nate: yeah.
Well,
Raygan: award because I feel like
Nate: should we,
Raygan: understand what the dirt
Nate: maybe we define by examples.
Do we wanna
Raygan: Mm-hmm.
Nate: throw some previous winners?
I, I think
Laura: a previous winners.
Nate: so.
Some previous winners.
Then we'll run through a couple nominees.
I.
Raygan: with,
Laura: from
Raygan: oh yes, that's an important one.
I think
Shane: Uh huh.
Raygan: with May Browski from
Laura: Uhhuh Night in the
Shane: Yeah.
Raygan: still close to my heart as the
Nate: Uhhuh,
Raygan: bag in games.
Um,
Nate: uh, a raccoon and donut
sit, uh, donut County I think
Raygan: Um,
Nate: 'em.
Raygan: my
Shane: dirty dirt bag.
Raygan: that we've awarded this was to
the actor who played Am Bro Ambrosio,
Laura: Joe.
Raygan: uh,
Laura: Mm-hmm.
Raygan: the film Ambrosio From the
Game Immortality by Sam Barlow.
Um, and, uh, you know what?
A dirt bag just dripping with smarm and
Shane: Mm-hmm.
Laura: To be clear, not the actual real
Nate: That's a real human.
Laura: in the game, the actor,
Nate: Yeah.
Raygan: actor himself, who played the
Laura: the actor himself,
Raygan: is
Laura: react to the award,
Nate: know.
You gotta be a little bit of a
dirt bag to embody that dirt bag
that well, you know what I mean?
Like you can't, you no one's.
Shane: award a little too readily to be
Nate: Yeah,
Shane: a, straight arrow, if you
Nate: he is at least somewhat a dirt bag.
Raygan: loved that response
because he was, he was, he seemed
very excited to be the dirt
Laura: So happy.
Shane: Mm-hmm.
Nate: Uhhuh.
It's an influential award.
Shane: Mm-hmm.
Raygan: Yeah.
and
Shane: Career
Raygan: it's
Shane: changing.
Raygan: one of the ones that we've
been giving out for the longest, so.
Shane: Mm-hmm.
Raygan: Uh, apart from
the game of the Year award
Shane: Can we have a drum roll?
Raygan: Yes.
Uh, so our dirt bag of the
year this year is Verity Amer
Sham in the, the ankle game.
Expelled an overboard game.
Um, so we all loved this game.
Uh, it was a great
Shane: Maybe.
you know, uh.
Uh, right to the, to the, to the
heart of what this role, this game,
uh, this award represents, uh,
is to find a young girl in games
Laura: Yeah,
Shane: and give it to them.
Laura: like a young girl who the first,
uh, when you first meet them, not
Shane: Yeah.
Laura: and then becomes increasingly dirt
Nate: The layers of dirt bag.
Really the game it, the, the game
in a way is just understanding how
much of a dirt bag she really is.
Laura: a meter.
Nate: Yeah.
Raygan: You're right.
Nate: Yeah.
Shane: She
Nate: You, you get to control to
some degree your dirt bag level.
Yeah.
Yeah.
But you're really unpacking, uh, if you
will, how much of a dirt bag she truly is.
So, uh, a, an esteemed award,
and I can't think of anyone more
deserving than, uh, than Verity.
Raygan: We had some runners up.
We should go ahead and save them.
Um,
Laura: Mm-hmm.
Raygan: I, I, I, briefly thought
maybe the gnomes from Grun.
They've got a certain dirt
bagginess, but they're just
Nate: Mm-hmm.
Raygan: enough.
You
Nate: Yeah.
Shane: No,
Laura: Yeah.
Raygan: but they're not, they're
not character enough to be a dirt
Shane: they're dirty, but
Laura: and I thought of the
weird hoarder that blocks the
bridge in Eno Dream Barbecue.
But like the whole game
is so weird that like
Nate: The game is a dirt bag.
Raygan: Mm-hmm.
Shane: Mm-hmm.
Laura: is a dirt
Shane: Ad game is four dirt bags.
Laura: Yeah, it's just a dirt bag game.
Nate: Yeah.
All the way down.
Dirt bags all the way down.
Shane: Mm-hmm.
Raygan: I, um, and also of course
we played, uh, the fourth, uh,
chapter of Under Tail, and Susie
is an all timer, uh, in the dirt
Laura: Always.
Raygan: I don't think we've actually
given her dirt bag of the year at any
point, but it sort of feels like she's
already in the hallowed halls, you know?
Nate: Mm-hmm.
Raygan: uh, it almost would, it
would almost be pointless to give
her dirt bag of the year at this
Laura: He's there with me.
Raygan: Yeah.
Um, so, you know.
Hands on hearts to Susie.
Our,
Nate: Uhhuh.
Raygan: you Your, your
Nate: Yeah.
Raygan: bag
Laura: to the
Nate: the way.
Yeah, paving the way so that
other dirt bags may follow.
Raygan: Yeah.
Her,
Nate: Mm-hmm.
Raygan: her jersey was already
already hoisted to the rafters
before we all got here.
So, who, who, who's gonna do
Nate: Yeah, I'll, I'll take this one.
So this next one is, I think
this is a newer one also, but
this is one that's important.
Something that has been in
increasing in gaming over the
years and, uh, I think finds its
way onto our show quite regularly.
Uh, this is the most little
guy who goes around award,
Shane: Mm-hmm.
Nate: okay?
Shane: is full of little
guys who go around.
Nate: Mm-hmm.
Shane: you know, it, it's.
D it, it's, it's the heart of
all storytelling is, you know, at
the, at the center of your story,
you need to have, a pilgrim,
Nate: Sure
Shane: a wanderer.
Um, and, and this game, uh,
represents that very well.
Nate: we, we've also been,
Raygan: gaming began, uh, games
have been about little guys because,
Nate: Well, and it's important to,
Raygan: they can't be big
Nate: it is important to note
that we are talking about,
Raygan: I.
Nate: we're talking about little guys now.
It could be gals as well, but
little guy, they have to be.
Little
Laura: Just a little
Shane: Uh huh
Nate: There's gotta be a little
guy and they have to go around.
Raygan: Mm-hmm.
whenever we do this award, I
feel, I have to give a little
credit to where this phrase came
Nate: uhhuh.
Raygan: a great podcast out there
called the Anime Sickos, and they
had a whole bit about the anime.
Um, oh, geez,
Laura: Ranking of kink.
Raygan: Uh, yes.
Ranking of Kings and
Shane: Ranking of kings.
Raygan: The character
was a little guy who goes
Shane: He's a little guy.
Raygan: an anime about a little
guy who goes around and, um.
It made me realize how many
things are that, and, um,
Shane: Mm-hmm.
Nate: It.
This is a phrase.
Raygan: a little guy who goes around.
Nate: is a phrase that has been
since I, I don't remember which of
you brought it up first on the show.
I do.
I think it was Shane.
Uh, but this is a phrase that have
been stuck in my head since then.
I'm just constantly thinking, is
this a little guy who goes around?
Like any game we play, I'm
putting it through those that,
that, those two checks, is it a
little guy and is it going around?
Raygan: I think
Nate: Okay.
Raygan: things that define this.
Like
Nate: Uhhuh.
Raygan: isn't just a person who is small.
There's an el, there's a,
Shane: It helps.
Raygan: an it
Laura: It does help.
Raygan: there's an
Laura: Thank goodness
you're here, for example.
Shane: Mm-hmm.
Nate: Uh,
Raygan: person, and then going
around has to be their primary verb.
And that's different from like.
Moving.
You gotta go around.
You gotta
Nate: you gotta go around.
You gotta go around.
Uh,
Laura: around.
Raygan: you know, if
Nate: you gotta go around.
Raygan: and that's the primary
verb, it doesn't matter if they go
around, then they're not a little
guy who goes around the, going
Shane: Mm-hmm.
Raygan: has to be the thing
that the little guy does.
Right?
Nate: Yeah, it, it really was last
Raygan: go together.
Shane: This is a tough one because
our, our chosen little guy of the
year who goes around has almost too
many verbs because he can kick a ball.
Nate: Uhhuh.
Raygan: that's one
Nate: Yeah, but also maybe
the, the, the, the defining
character of this was last year's.
Thank goodness.
Here, here he also is a little g guy
who is single verb was kicking things
Shane: Mm-hmm.
Raygan: I think
Nate: so.
Shane: Yeah.
Raygan: Mm-hmm.
Nate: kicking must be allowed.
Shane: you're a
Nate: It's okay to kick, let, let us
Terry know further we must get to the
winner of this year's and that is young
Julian Cordero from Dete an absolutely
lovely game, um, that, uh, it was a
real standout moment for me this year.
Shane: actual human who has won.
Nate: Mm-hmm.
Shane: goes around.
Um, we have,
Raygan: from, uh, thank goodness
you're here, not a human.
Shane: was bright yellow, but I mean,
Nate: Are the Simpsons not human.
Shane: is an actual person.
Nate: Sure.
Raygan: Okay.
Nate: a real hu.
Laura: developer.
Nate: real, there's a real
human out there who the
Shane: being.
Nate: Yeah.
Shane: are awarding this bizarre award to,
Nate: And, and you, you spend
the, the majority of this
game just going around town.
You're just going around and
you are a 10-year-old boy.
So what a.
Raygan: am a, I'm
Shane: Just exploring keto in Ecuador.
Yep.
Raygan: around that is in first person,
Nate: Mm.
Laura: Hmm.
Nate: Wow.
Raygan: because now I'm
the little guy like,
Shane: Yeah.
Raygan: a, what a moment.
Like
Nate: that's why that game clicked for me
so well, is it just simply that I finally
got to be the little guy who goes around
Raygan: Mm-hmm.
Nate: it's like touching, um, overview
of an, a really interesting moment in
history one that I never would've had
perspective on, or is it simply that I
got to be the little guy who goes around?
I don't know, maybe, uh, maybe it
is the perfect blend of the two.
Raygan: Mm-hmm.
Nate: Um, yeah.
A really, really lovely game.
And what a, what a uh, deserving winner of
the most little guy who goes around award
Shane: podcast that has covered
a lot of walking simulators,
Nate: uhhuh.
Shane: surprised that we haven't
had, something in that general vein
that has been a little guy before.
Uh, mostly it's full-size
Nate: It's mostly full-sized guys.
Yeah.
Shane: sometimes they're in space.
Raygan: is,
Shane: Yeah.
Way too much.
Raygan: that the talking kills the
little guy, uh, or the going around.
Nate: Well, there's a
lot of talking and just,
Laura: video,
Nate: but it's, yeah.
Laura: in your parents' video
store is like epitome of a
little guy who goes around.
Raygan: I,
Nate: Yeah.
Laura: Mm-hmm.
Shane: goes to the park, he goes home.
Nate: Wow.
Shane: I just wanna say,
yeah, from all of us.
Thank you Julian Cordero.
We loved your game and we loved you.
Raygan: Mm-hmm.
Laura: Absolutely.
Raygan: loved to be you.
Nate: Yeah, we had a runner up for
this, just to call out this game.
Um, but I don't think it was particularly
close when you compare the two.
Shane: have given any awards to this one.
Yeah.
Nate: I know.
So I think maybe this is just
the time we call out this game.
'cause I know this was important to you
and I, Shane, we had a good time with it.
The fly night from, uh, fly night
was, you're a, you're a little guy.
You're a bug.
Shane: little guy.
He has a lot of verbs
Nate: He does, yeah.
The
Shane: why he did not win,
Nate: uh huh.
Shane: but I'm glad we
get to acknowledge him.
Um,
Nate: De fits the Yeah,
fits the little guy part.
Um, uh, going around you're doing that,
but that's not all you're doing, right.
So,
Shane: I
Nate: yeah,
Shane: a little ambiguous how little he is
Nate: that's true.
Shane: I think he is a a human
shaped fly in a fly sized world.
But if he is a human sized fly
in a human world, uh, which, uh,
you know, it could be the case.
He's definitely not even little and
Nate: Yeah,
Shane: going around is
just full of stuff to kill,
Nate: Uhhuh
Shane: not so sure.
Yeah.
Nate: really cool game though, and I
am, uh, really, really hopeful that
there's enough support for them to
continue making it and iterate on
Shane: Mm-hmm.
Nate: we got in fly
night and, um, and make a
Shane: agree.
Nate: a, a fly night too
that really builds on it.
Shane: Give, give us more like this.
Uh, please.
Nate: yeah, the like four hour souls
like combat first person sort of thing.
Like there, I can't, I'm sure
there's other examples out there,
but I can't think of a single one.
And certainly none of them
made it to us like this.
So, uh, you know,
Shane: Mm-hmm.
Nate: had a great time.
Shane: Well, I will
introduce our next award.
Um, we have for a long time had, as
is our tradition, we really just sort
of commit to the bit and stick with,
Nate: What do you mean?
Shane: obscure awards, uh,
Nate: What do you mean?
These have been very
serious awards so far.
Shane: they're very serious.
Uh, the best Glarus is one that I've
always really liked, uh, because
each of these is a, is a sort of a
weird lens or crystal through which
to look at these different games.
Um, and Glarus, uh,
originates from the game.
Uh, what was the name of that game?
Nate: Forbidden City
Raygan: Yeah, the
Nate: or forgot, forbidden city.
Laura: city.
Shane: City.
Thank you.
Raygan: forbidden right?
Or not
Shane: Forgotten.
Raygan: I'm
Shane: Forbidden
Raygan: it.
Nate: I think it's forbidden.
Shane: for, I've forgotten
if it's forbidden.
Um,
Raygan: Forgotten City
Nate: Damn it.
Shane: um,
Laura: City.
Stick
Nate: got it?
Yeah, you're good.
Laura.
I'm sorry, I, I'm sorry
I tried to correct you.
Laura: refresh my brain when I
did the nine year trivia, so.
Shane: Right.
And, uh, and
Nate: Very good.
Shane: uh, character, there is a, um,
a farmer who just sort of shows up at
the beginning of the game, um, and.
an important role mechanically in a
game that's basically a time loop game,
uh, where you can basically send him
off to do all the stuff that you would
have to kind of drudge your way through.
And, and by the end of the game
you are showing up saying, Hey,
trust me, I'm from the future.
Can you please do this entire
list of laundry for me?
Um, so, um, the.
The, the, the heart of being a
gallius across all of gaming is
it's a character who serves a super
important core mechanic in the game.
Basically, it's a character who
is a core mechanic and, um, we
almost couldn't come up with one.
I have two.
That are nominees for this.
Um, and I think we'll
award it to one of them.
Um, but they're both from things that I
loved this year, but we could not cover.
Um, and so probably our winner is, from
Absalom, which our listeners will hear.
I swear we will do an episode on it.
I've been pressuring all of
my friends to play Absalom.
Raygan: lot of Absalom.
Nate: is solved.
It's happening.
It's just we're doing this first.
Raygan: it.
It is,
Nate: Yeah.
Raygan: perfectly honest, if we'd had
our shit together, we would've had that
episode out weeks or even months ago.
And it would be on the game
of the year list right now.
And listeners,
Nate: Yeah.
Raygan: played Absalom, go look it up.
Um, Shannon.
Shane: be my game of the year
Raygan: It,
Shane: if, if anyone but me had played it
Raygan: would.
I mean, I have now, and,
Nate: Well, we have also, we just
haven't done it for the show.
Yeah.
Raygan: like, We'll, we're gonna talk
about Game of the Year in a moment.
Um.
W the, the, the choice is clear, but
also Absalom would've been in my top
Nate: Yeah,
Raygan: like
Nate: for sure.
Same.
Raygan: Um, and, uh, if you
haven't played it, which I'm just
gonna give the ten second pitch,
and then Shane gives the award.
Um, Absalom, if you played Streets
of Rage four, the incredible team
that did absolute wizardry, magic,
making the most incredible modern,
beat him up I've ever played.
Shane: Reviving the whole genre for
me and bringing back a game I loved
from my childhood in a new form.
Raygan: And now they made a brand
new game with new characters in
a fantasy setting where you're
playing one of several wizards with
weird powers and it has a roguelike
structure, but it's not annoying.
And it has, um, uh, like in incredible
animations, good music, it has lore.
That's actually kind of interesting.
Nate: There's a dwarf named Carl.
I mean, what more do you want?
What more do you want?
Raygan: blue lady with a sword.
Nate: Uhhuh?
Shane: Uhhuh
Nate: Reagan.
I thought Reagan, I thought
Shane: is ostensibly a wizard, but as far
as I can tell, all of his spells are shoot
Nate: they just call everyone wizards.
Uh, Reagan, I definitely, I, I definitely
thought of you thinking, well, here's
another girlfriend for Reagan on this
game too, when there's a mean blue lady.
Um, so yeah.
I.
Shane: I'm looking forward
to talking about that game.
There are four Unlockable
characters in that game.
You guys haven't even
gotten to the weird guys.
Nate: I've been playing
a cider who's been fun.
Shane: yeah.
Yeah.
Raygan: like the
Shane: So I will, we'll save
this for the actual podcast.
Um, so I will tell you about a
fantastic glar from that game.
If you're playing a game with
Roguelike Elements, what's the core?
of a roguelike.
It's the fact that you respawn
with nothing when you die.
Um, and so the, um, the character I
would like to award is the 12 foot tall
pregnant mom from, um, from Absalom.
Nate: Yep.
Shane: the first thing you
do in that game is save her.
Um, and every time you die, uh,
you are reborn from 12 foot tall
pregnant mom who cannot give birth
until you defeat the big, bad guy.
Raygan: right.
Her.
Shane: Mother Uwe.
Thank
Nate: Oh, I just only thought of her as
Laura: foot tall
Nate: I thought I was
12 foot pregnant mom.
Uh, I, I love,
Laura: day.
Nate: I love the lengths at which
Rogue likes Now, or rogue Lights
are going to justify the fact
that you start over at every time.
Like, uh, I, I think it's funny
and, and, um, having it be a 12
foot pregnant mom is a new one.
Laura: had a good
Shane: Mm-hmm.
Laura: it,
Shane: Yeah.
Everyone was like, why
don't we have a reason
Nate: Yeah.
Absalom is,
Raygan: lady give birth to you at the
Nate: yeah, Absalom in many ways
is Hades, but side scrolling.
Uh, and I think that's incredible.
I'm a huge fan of the game
as well, so, uh, yeah.
Shane: Yeah.
It, it has so much in common with
Nate: Yeah,
Shane: It, it, really owes a lot to that.
It's got that, uh,
Nate: there's,
Shane: and everything,
Nate: there's a lot.
Raygan: Mother Uwe is like,
represents a deep mechanic, like.
You start again.
This is the mechanic that
exists in literally every game.
Um, it's cool, but I, I do
really like her as a character
Nate: Yeah.
Raygan: as an element of the world
Shane: Mm-hmm.
Raygan: story of the game is a struggle
between the Roots sisters and the bad guy
with the red Lighty helmet, whose name
Nate: That's also his name.
Raygan: a,
Nate: got it.
You got it.
Yeah.
Shane: he, he's not Absalom.
Nobody's Absalom.
Raygan: I was thinking he was
Shane: I haven't figured that out yet.
Raygan: Abso.
Shane: huh.
Raygan: Um.
Shane: Um, so let's save all that for
the next episode because I do also
want to give an also ran, uh, award
on, on Glarus, which is, um, for
something that we couldn't and never
will cover, and that is from Minecraft.
I to the PO podcast, uh, might think
that I love artistic, uh, cool games, you
know, games that respect your time, but.
I, I, my, my confession is that, um,
my two week Minecraft phase never
ended, and I play an absolutely
embarrassing amount of Minecraft.
Um, I was playing Minecraft minutes ago.
Um, I
Nate: Wait, we were
recording 30 minutes ago.
Is that why you were so distracted?
Is that why you were so,
Shane: recording.
Nate: that,
Raygan: like an iPad kid.
Nate: that why you were so distracted?
Shane: Yeah, no, I am, I, I
now, I play a lot of Minecraft
with my, with my iPad kid.
Uh, we are both iPad kids together and,
Nate: is an iPad.
Shane: yeah, he is an iPad, a human
Nate: This is my biological son.
Shane: uh, so what I can say is that.
For, for many years, Minecraft
has kind of languished under the
kind of control of Microsoft.
It's still remains the best
selling game of all time.
Like one of the most popular games,
it's weirdly popular with people who
are much younger than the game itself.
Um,
the last year.
Uh, they have changed how they
release content for Minecraft and
they, I don't know who they put
in charge now, but they're making
really, really good decisions.
And one of those is the introduction of
the Copper Golum, who is another, who is
a fantastic glarus, uh, the copper Golum.
which, uh, for, for lovers of
Minecraft you can create by putting
a carved pumpkin on top of a block
of copper, um, is a embodiment of.
Um, making one of the most annoying things
in Minecraft, easier for players of all
ages and, and, and levels of capability.
The copper golum is an adorable
item, sorter, you bring it to life.
It comes with a copper chest.
You put all your shit in that copper
chest and he goes into the chest one at
a time, gets things out, and then goes
and looks at all of your other chests.
And if he finds a chest that has a the
same item in it, he puts them together.
He just sorts stuff for you
and he does it so adorable.
And so of course.
Of course I treasure him.
I love him.
I immediately enslaved him by creating,
uh, a huge contraption full of copper
golum, uh, so that I could dump
on my entire inventory in one end.
And it sorts everything into
an enormous line of chests.
Uh, so.
Um, yeah.
Here's to you Copper Golum.
Um, I would love to talk
more, uh, about Minecraft.
It's something that is a huge gamer
subject for me, and I, I think maybe
with the new format of the show, we
could do an episode about Minecraft.
Uh, that could be patron only.
It's not short.
Raygan: Hmm.
Shane: Uh, I, I think I have multiple
Minecraft worlds that I've put hundreds of
hours into, but we'll get there one day.
Raygan: Yeah, you introduced my
daughter to Minecraft and now
she's playing it all the time.
Shane: wonderful.
Raygan: uh, it's been neat to watch.
Nate: Yeah.
Raygan: not that interested in playing
it personally, uh, but I, I've done
so to, you know, to hang out with my
Shane: Mm-hmm.
Raygan: hang out with you, with your son.
Um.
Love Minecraft.
It is, uh, it continues to be the less
objectionable option in a world where
kids seem to either play that or Roblox.
So I'm all for it.
Nate: Yeah.
Shane: Yep.
Roblox banned my house.
Nate: but we, uh, yeah, my daughter
plays Minecraft as well and
Laura: I need to, all my nephew
asked for it for Christmas was
Roblox gift cards, and I refuse.
He is not getting that.
Nate: mm-hmm.
Laura: Nope.
thank you.
Shane: Now there's
another topic, uh, for us.
Yeah.
Laura: Um, so I would've presented
the next award because, I,
this is a plea, uh, listeners.
You want me need to have nice things.
My husband I don't need a
switch to and I disagree.
He's like, we don't have a big apartment.
Our current switch is fine.
That's what I said.
Uh, he is like, switch is your,
the current one works fine.
I was like, it's making a very slight
noise while I play.
And he is like, not what you wear.
Headphones.
My husband is a smart man.
But I want to play the best Mario
game this year, and I'm pretty
sure it's Donkey Kong Bonanza.
So listeners, if you would like me to
talk about Donkey Kong Bonanza, you need
to get on the Discord and tell my husband
Nate: He there?
Laura: to
Nate: Yeah.
We created, uh,
Laura: a plea.
Nate: we created the award Best Mario,
in order to reward a Mario game one
time and now it's stuck with us.
And yeah, I think this year the best Mario
Laura: probably.
Nate: uh, donkey Kong.
Not a short game though,
Raygan: No, uh, I, I have to speak to
this one a little bit because it's one of
the games I put the most time into this
year, and I still haven't finished it.
Um, but
Nate: Ooh, banana.
Raygan: a, love banana.
Um,
Nate: banana.
Raygan: it's just called
the monkey game because
Nate: Great.
Raygan: kids know it as.
And, um, the monkey game, uh, is so.
fun to watch that my kids will
watch me play it, which doesn't
happen with a lot of games.
I'll put on a
Nate: That's the stuff.
Raygan: in.
I'm
Shane: Uh.
Raygan: I'm gonna play this game.
It's gonna be neat.
And 10 seconds in, they're either like,
this is boring, I want Paw Patrol.
Or they're like, can I play?
And I'm like, kid, you
Laura: Correct.
Raygan: But this one like worked out
well and the, especially the thing
that really worked out well about
it was the ability for an additional
player to play as Pauline, um, who's
carried around on Donkey Kong's back.
So Donkey Kong is aping around
and that's me and Pauline
is hanging on to their back.
has basically one button that just
like wrecks everything on screen.
Uh, it's like a, a yell button.
And Pauline yells out, little,
little yells, and they appear as
little floating words that just
crush anything in their path,
Shane: Hmm.
Raygan: terrain, whatever.
And, um.
That make some of the parts of
the game kind of trivially easy,
which my gamer, inner gamer
kind of rebels at a little bit.
I'm like, I wanna deploy the boss.
But you just yelled him off the screen.
But also it kind of rules
because it's a kind of co-op
that you don't get very often.
It requires absolutely nothing of the.
Of the co-op partner, you know, no
skill is required for the player
playing as Pauline, and yet they
get to be the one that just destroys
everything on screen, um, which
Shane: This kind of like skill,
high involvement partner.
Maybe we need a new, a new
award for this because this is a
category that I'm increasingly.
I increasingly love, you know, if you
think back to like when we were kids,
the, you would give your controller
for tails to the little brother Reagan.
And, um, and tails can't die, so, you
know, and tails can be so helpful.
Tails can help you fly
and things like that.
Right.
Um, we have a lost episode.
podcast, uh, from this year that
was about, um, it's called a game
called, uh, Planet and Primal Planet.
I was thinking a lot about this kind
of co-op as well, because that one
has Dino character called Sino who
also cannot die and, uh, has like
an upgrade tree and very quickly
becomes an absolute lethal menace and.
Um, yeah.
And so it's so much fun to play
with that kind of interested player,
but like who's maybe not ready for
a metro vania or for a platformer.
Um, but you know, they can,
they can come along with you.
Usually these are the characters
that automatically teleport when
they get lost and wander off
screen, uh, and just show back up.
Uh, or I guess with Pauline,
they're just stuck to your back.
So, uh, yeah, this is,
this is really cool.
And, and I.
We can think of a, um, if we can
think of a name for this award, uh,
then, then maybe we'll include it.
Raygan: I
Shane: Uh,
Raygan: be tails.
Nate: Best tails.
Shane: but we already award a Best
Mario, do we wanna award a Best Mario?
And a best Tails?
Nate: Yes.
Raygan: Miles Prow.
Nate: The Miles award.
It is that, yeah, that's a good one.
Raygan: is our Miles Prow of the year.
Um, so let's see what's
next on our list here.
Um.
This is, uh, the first
game we covered this year.
We, we've
Laura: Yep.
Raygan: this award before.
We, we are off sync with the
rest of gaming pretty reliably.
And,
Shane: Mm-hmm.
Raygan: a, common problem
is that around this time.
Shane: We do things a little differently
Nate: We're not like your other podcasts,
you see, we're not like other girls.
Shane: of our own drum.
Nate: Yeah.
We don't care much about
optimization of release schedules.
Yeah.
I.
Raygan: we have this problem all
the time where sometimes some
of the best games we play are
things that like come out in like.
November.
Uh, and, and then we don't play
it until January and it's like,
sorry, you missed your shot at
being in our Game of the Year award.
And I'm sure they're
really broken up about it.
Um, but then we kind of feel like we
want to, uh, to acknowledge those games.
And so we have a category
for late to the party.
These are games that
didn't come out this year.
That probably came out late last year that
we got too early-ish, probably this year.
And that ruled and probably would've
been high on our game of the Year
awards last year if they had been,
if we'd gotten to them in time.
Um, so, uh, bringing back of these, a
blast from the past, a game that we played
in January, uh, and that I still can't get
some of the songs out of my head parking
Nate: This,
Raygan: circuit.
Nate: this might be the
best video game of all time.
This might've been my, it might've
been my video game, my game of the year
2025 or 24 had we played it on time.
I, I love this game rips so hard.
Laura: we're kind of not
Nate: I, I love this game so much.
Raygan: a, it's like really short,
like I, I, I, the added mod support
to it and I haven't gone back to it.
sense.
I wonder if there's more
levels that'd be worth playing.
But it was like a relatively small
number of levels and I kind of wished
it was actually a little meatier because
I did, I played this game to pieces.
Um,
Nate: Have you gotten
gold on every track yet?
Because that's been my mission.
I'm not,
Raygan: off
Nate: I'm not there yet either,
but I'm, yeah, I'm working on it.
Raygan: a little unreasonable
on some of those, but it
Nate: It's perfect.
Raygan: playing the same levels
over and over and over again because
I just, I kept feeling like, oh,
next time I'm really gonna ace it.
Um.
Laura: Then
Raygan: If you didn't
Laura: I didn't.
Raygan: episode, uh, this was a game
from a developer who's like, been around.
Like the, the guy who developed
this was, uh, famously the
developer of the Jelly car games.
It's one of those on
Apple Arcade right now.
But it's one of those things that
like began as like a flash game
and it was like super well known
in, in the, in that sort of sphere.
Um, but he's also done
a lot of other stuff.
He's clearly like a talented guy.
Uh, especially considering he, uh,
apparently like, like codes his
own engines for some of this stuff.
And like really, uh, really interesting.
Does like dev logs on all of his stuff.
You can go and watch him on YouTube
and, and he's, he's interesting too.
But anyway, that guy while a,
while a ah, whatever, I don't know.
His, the look up the developer.
He's interesting, but
he's, um, uh, this game.
Uh, was clearly an homage
to rally car racing games on
the Sega Saturn specifically.
So it has a lot of really interesting
like, um, early 3D art imitation of
early 3D art with like weird angles
and flickery, uh, geometry, uh, in
the most interesting looking way.
Um, ska soundtrack.
incredible
Nate: Everything.
It's perfect in every way.
Raygan: it is perfect and
Shane: Yeah.
Raygan: level is set in a unique parking
garage across the world, so every,
Laura: Towers in Chicago, which is
Nate: Yep.
Shane: Mm-hmm.
Raygan: it was.
So I was like, oh man, that is one of the
most iconic parking garages in the world.
And, and I
Nate: Yeah, they're all
real parking garages.
Yeah.
And it, it's, the game is funny.
Yeah.
I mean, ish, of course.
But the game is funny without ever
with no written text other than
like rally time races and stuff.
But like, you get the bit of it, right?
Like, uh, uh, one of the
levels starts out with.
It zooms in on Mount Rushmore
like, it's like it's a beau.
Like you're like, you know, a typ
typical racing game is you're be is.
Yeah, exactly.
Like you're gonna be racing around that.
It zooms in on that, and then
the camera pans down to a parking
Laura: It's like
Nate: garage
Laura: garage,
Nate: and then you're
in the parking garage.
It's so good.
Raygan: Mount Rushmore,
Nate: The parking garage around my, but
Raygan: at the Alamo, you know, it's like,
Nate: yeah.
Raygan: it's
Nate: But it's per, it's perfect racing.
It, it's like, it's, so the, the,
the genius of the game as far as a
racing game standpoint goes is that
you do, like, you realize like.
Parking garages are incredibly
tight structures with almost
exclusively difficult sharp turns.
And so the idea of doing like a speed
run through a parking garage is actually
really challenging and interesting.
And then the, the mechanics of driving
the car just feel so fun is the type
of thing, that type of game where you
fuck up a hun like 99% of the time,
but every single time you feel like.
It was your fault.
And so there is like a degree of mastery
that you can get with it and they set
the bar of a achievement really high.
You can't just play this game and
sort of breeze your way through it.
If you actually want to beat every
level, you have to achieve some degree
of mastery of each level to move forward.
And I think that's the
exact right way to go.
You can go even further and go for like
gold medals and things like that, but you
don't just get to play it and beat it.
You have to actually.
Excel and it is so satisfying.
It's, it's so much fun.
Raygan: Hmm.
Shane: I am still thinking about this one
every time I pull into my work parking
garage, which has some, uh, pretty,
uh, pretty tricky blind switchbacks.
Um.
Raygan: in there.
Oh man.
Nate: It's so good.
It's so good.
Yeah.
Uh, all right.
Raygan: I think you need to introduce
Nate: Yeah, I'll take the next one.
So this is a new award.
It's an important one.
May there never be another,
but it's important that we
acknowledge it this year.
This award is the best game
that significantly aided in
the near death of the podcast.
Um, and this one goes to
Hollow Night Silk Song.
Uh, when we were, when we, when
we were in our darkest moment as a
podcast, I had time, I had time to, uh.
I had time to, to, to,
to support the show.
Laura: and was playing hollow night.
Nate: Yeah.
So, uh, I could have, I really, if
I really was prioritizing things
differently, I could have been pushing
the show, playing the games, editing
the podcast, all of these things that
would've aided in the support of the show.
But instead, I was playing Silk
Song for two months straight.
Laura: you
Nate: And, and I beat it.
And I, and I, well, I beat a, I I
got to credits, but real people who
would play the game though, there's
a whole other element of the game to
get to, which I'm still working my
way through, but I've recommitted to
the show and I've been playing show
games for the podcast and I've been
doing edits and stuff like that, but.
This game absorbed my life from a gaming
standpoint for two months straight.
It came out on September 4th.
On November 4th, I got credits.
Um, and maybe I have some regrets
about, you know, not supporting the
show as much, but I have no regrets
about, uh, my time with Silk Song.
Incredible game.
I, I talk all about it in the
already recorded Patreon episode
about what we did over our, uh,
like two month gap on the show.
Uh, but the top 10, maybe top five, maybe
top three game of, uh, all time for me.
Uh, if we, this wasn't a short game
show, uh, it would be my game of the
year without even, uh, a question.
Um, and so I had to award it.
'cause as far as gaming in 2025 goes for
me, uh, this was a, a big part of it.
And, um, again, shout out to the discord.
Who were a support structure for me as I
made my way through, uh, uh, silk Song,
because I don't think I'm particularly
good at it, but I got through it.
Uh, and that was with some,
some, uh, Sherpas in the discord
and just, uh, a lot of time.
Um, so yes, so.
Raygan: following that.
And then some point I was like, wow,
there's a lot of talk about Silk Song.
And I muted that channel because
I was like, man, but also.
Incredible.
Incredible.
Uh, I'm, I, I started it
and I am gonna play it.
I adored Hollow Night years ago.
Um, and I am gonna make time
for Hollow Night Silk song.
But let's see if we can get the podcast
Nate: Yeah.
Well, yeah, so I, I have beaten so.
We're in, no, we're in December and I
have beaten one boss since November 4th.
So I'm, I, my in, I've played very
little, but I'm still chipping away at it.
I want to finish act three.
Um, but I, you know, gotta
prioritize things a little bit
differently in my life right now.
Raygan: same holidays and stuff too.
It's a,
Nate: Yeah.
But, but Laura, you were playing hollow
night through this whole time too.
Laura: Yes, and I've
Nate: Yeah.
Laura: it at a much more
manageable rate than you.
'cause, uh, playing hollow night,
I immediately took a contract to
the end of the year, and then I
went to Copenhagen for two weeks.
So, you know, uh, kind of hurt the.
The, but I, I, I play hollow night, uh, at
least once a week till my hands hurt and
Nate: Yeah,
Laura: And, um,
Nate: it's great.
Laura: Uh, I, I think I found a
life balance with it 'cause there's
no pressure to play it fast, but
Nate: Great.
Laura: it's, it's exquisite and, um, I
think it's probably my best gaming moment
of the year was finally playing it.
But I think y'all have
more meaningful ones.
Raygan: Yeah.
Um, we added the thing, we've done
this before on previous, um, episodes
like this, but, um, we were just gonna
briefly say like what our favorite
gaming moment of the year was.
I had a, a few, um, but I think my
absolute gaming moment of the year
for me this year was, uh, finishing.
Alba with my daughter.
So my daughter is six and she had
never completed a game before.
I don't if even think she really
realized that was a thing that happened
in games that you could finish one.
Um, um, Alba, if you haven't seen
it, it's like five years old.
It's.
Something at this point.
Um, I think it, it's, it's from us two
games, the same people that developed,
um, the Monument Valley Games.
Um, shout out the, uh, the third
Monument Valley game just came out again.
It was exclusive to Netflix for a while,
and now it's out as like an its own thing.
So if you wanna buy Monument
Valley, you can do that now.
Um.
Shane: I actually heard really
good things about the new one.
Raygan: I just downloaded it.
I, uh, I haven't played it yet, but, um,
I love the Monument Valley Games, but,
um, uh, Alba is a game about a little
girl on a trip to visit her grandparents
on an island off the coast of Spain.
And she's very interested in the wildlife.
There's a wildlife preserve on the island
that has kind of, uh, gone to seed.
It's not well maintained.
The the paths aren't, aren't,
you know, the little boardwalks
aren't being maintained.
And, uh, and, you know, it's
just not, it's not in good shape.
And the, uh, the mayor of the town
who's very smarmy has decided to
tear it down and have a large.
hotel built, uh, of course,
uh, bad guy, character.
And, um, so it's up to you, the little
girl, uh, and your, your friend Inez.
Uh, you start a wildlife club together
to do various tasks around the open
world of this island to um, uh, to.
stop the building of the hotel and,
uh, it's quite a little adventure.
It takes place over like four days.
It's really pretty short.
It's like definitely in
short game territory.
And this is out on everything.
It's been out for years.
It's, um, it's on, uh,
consoles, it's on phones.
I think it's on Apple Arcade.
Um, it is also, uh, it's
Shane: Yep, it's on Apple Arcade.
Raygan: got it as a epic freebie
at one point, although I've
since bought it elsewhere too.
Um.
But it was so lovely playing
through that with my daughter.
And here's the hot tip.
This is the thing that
really made it work for us.
Um, this is a 3D game and my daughter
is six and hasn't played a lot of
those and didn't really get them.
And what we started doing was
I was streaming it from my pc.
'cause again, I got the free epic
version of streaming it from my
PC to my Apple TV in my living
room and the Apple TV as well as.
iPhones and iPads also apparently
have this feature called a
Buddy controller, and this was
what made the game work for us.
The Buddy
Shane: This is nice.
Raygan: think this exists on other
platforms too, was you pair two
controllers to the, in this case, the
Apple tv and they both control player one.
And so what we would do was she would
sit down with her controller and I
would have a controller in my lap.
And I would not touch it.
And then, um, she would be going around
doing things and if she was having a
hard time, usually it was things like
she couldn't aim the camera the way
she wanted to or something like that.
I would just nudge it and that was all.
occasionally she'd be like, dad,
I really want to take a picture
of this bird, but it's really far
away and I'm having a hard time.
And I'd say, do you want me to do it?
Sure.
And I could just do it with my controller.
And there was no handing the controller
back and forth, which meant like, we've
tried things where we handed a controller
back and forth and she didn't like that.
Uh, I think that's just
like, doesn't work for a kid.
Like they don't want to
hand over control to you.
But having.
Your own controller to help that worked.
And it was, it was so smooth.
And the game, I don't wanna spoil
Alba, but it, it ends in this like
what for the tone of the game was
a little bit like, almost scary.
She was terrified.
The, the, the island is on fire.
Um, there's a bit where you have to
play as the grandpa searching for
Alba and we don't know what happened
to Alba during all of that part.
And she was.
Terrified.
Um, but you know, she's like,
daddy, you have to be the grandpa.
And so I played through
the scary part for her.
Um, but then of course we
found Alba, she was fine.
And, and uh, and she played
as Alba again at the end.
And it's, it was just so.
Great.
It was so nice playing through it with
her, um, and seeing credits and, and
you know, being like, oh, you finished
the game and I can't believe it.
And it was, it was so neat.
So that was my great gaming moment
of the year, and it was a short
game, so thank you to the short game.
Uh, we're like five plus years late
on that one, so, um, you know, not
for the show exactly, but, um, it
Shane: I don't know.
It could get an award.
It could win Game of the year next year.
Raygan: Uh, anybody else have a, I mean,
Shane: Sure.
Uh, mine was also, uh, very kid related.
Um, and it's a gaming
moment, but it's, um.
Not a video game moment.
So maybe it, you know,
fits or maybe it doesn't.
But for me, a big thing this year was
Dungeons and Dragons with my kiddo.
Raygan: forever.
Shane: son is eight um, I think Wizards
of the coast thinks you should be
like 12 to play Dungeons and Dragons.
But what do they know?
We started off, he was aware of d
and d because around my house I have
a lot of little miniature figurines.
Right.
So his exposure, you know, early
on was Dad has a lot of toys
that I'm not allowed to touch.
Um, although really eventually he did.
Uh, he, he, like, I'm not, I'm
not playing with these, they're,
they're better off in his hands
and he broke quite a few of them.
But, you know, we, we
had a lot of fun with it.
And, um.
So he knew about Dungeons and Dragons.
Um, over the summer he decided he
really wanted to get into it, but
he started coming up with his own
character and made up a, a character
called Willow who is a dry ad.
Uh, and there's no like cool young
kid, dry miniature out there, right?
So, and he really wanted to have
a miniature, and that actually
kicked off a whole long thing
where, uh, we got a 3D printer.
we learned 3D modeling software
called Nomad Sculpt on our iPads.
And we modeled Willow and printed him out.
Um, and then I got to printing a
whole bunch of other d and d stuff
'cause 3D printers have come a
hugely long way since the last time
I tried to 3D print a miniature.
Um, and anyway, the kid got into.
D and d he really liked, uh, you
know, building this character.
We found another kid his age from
our school, uh, a, a, a eight, I
think eight maybe 9-year-old girl,
uh, with co couple of cool parents,
and we've, they've been coming over.
We've been playing DD, And he
just is absolutely mad for it.
He wants to play every day if we can.
We have had to institute these like,
at least weekly side quests where, uh,
it's really just me and him and mom.
Um, but you know.
F playing with, uh, we've played with
lots of other kids at this point.
I have a, a friend who has two daughters
and they came over and played with us.
Um, so getting, getting that
going has been really rewarding.
It's nice to be able
to share that with him.
Um, I, it's flexing my dungeon
master muscles in ways that
I have not done in years.
Um, and it's been a really.
Just sweet, fun, cool time.
Uh, and he's an absolute menace.
He's insane.
So, um, yeah, it's been, it's been great.
Uh, uh, Nate, uh, earlier you were
telling me that your kids were also
getting into DDI think this is the
year that we get all our kid, turn our,
Nate: I know.
Shane: big nerds.
Huh?
Nate: We'll do, uh, we'll, we, we,
we as a podcast used to play d and d
over, uh, Skype, I think at the time.
Uh, art Rip Skype, um, and, uh, you
know, a lot of fond gaming memories.
Molly and I still talk
about it from time to time.
The, the Epic adventure we went on as a,
as a podcast and, and various partners.
Uh, maybe we'll recreate that with the
kids and it'll be obnoxious and fun.
Which is kind of the, I think, the balance
of most stuff with kids obnoxious and fun.
Um, yeah.
But we played for the first
time, uh, this last weekend,
and it was, it was a lot of fun.
Raygan: That's awesome.
Nate: Um, but, uh, I'll say my
gaming moment, look, I, I could
say stuff with my kids, you know,
we had some good gaming moments.
I could say a lot of really
heartfelt stuff, like what you
guys just shared, these, you know,
pivotal moments in parenthood.
But the reality is it's silk song.
What am I talking about?
Of course.
Laura: mine was holiday, so it's
Nate: Yeah, of course.
Laura: not gonna, I have
nothing deep to say.
Nate: Yeah, of course.
I've already, I've already, I've
talked enough, I mean, I haven't
talked enough about Silk song, frankly.
I could talk so much more,
but I'm not going to.
Um, but I think.
Laura: Coast time zone appreciates that
Nate: Yeah.
Yeah.
So I, I'll just leave it at everything.
With Silk Song is my
gaming moment of the year.
We've got, uh, what two
awards left to give.
So we, I don't think we
do this one every year.
Um, and this was a particularly
interesting game that I
think we wanted to call out.
So we're calling this award
the best rerelease of 2025.
Uh, and that goes to the root
trees are dead, uh, which was a,
uh, a controversial early release,
um, that we covered on the show.
Uh, I think we all.
Laura: No longer.
Nate: Yeah.
No.
Laura: a little bit.
There's a little bit, but uh.
Nate: I don't know.
It's a, I don't think we need to unpack
the whole thing here, but the, the,
the short of it is that the original
release of root trees are dead.
U utilize some AI art and,
uh, there's a lot of opinions.
On that.
Now, the, this was a, a very independent
release that was very successful and
the creator used the success of the
initial release to re-release it,
audience, no longer utilizing the AI art.
Um, which is cool.
Uh, and it's a, I I really
interesting, really.
I think, um, and, and well-developed
game that was like right into the
heart of a lot of the things that
we're interested on this show.
Um, it's hard to make a game like
this that is so successful and so
I was glad to see the re-release.
Glad to see the support around it
and the overall success of this
game, and I think we're all pretty
supportive of the of the final release
compared to the initial release.
But again, that is a whole thing that
I don't think we have time in this game
of the year episode to unpack again.
Um, but happy for root trees are dead.
Laura: Yes.
Raygan: I still love this game a lot.
This is I, I, I didn't mind
playing the version that we did.
Um, I, you know, we talked
through about, about the, the
AI art aspect of it back then.
Um, you know, and, and I think what we,
where we came down on was like, hmm, it
would be better without it, uh, with,
with, you know, with, with more original
art and hey, they did the thing, um.
And you can buy it on steam now
instead of having to jump through
hoops to get it from, uh, like
a, a web-based thing on itch.io,
which,
Laura: There will be that creepy kid.
That we talked about for
like five or six minutes.
Um, 'cause the professional
illustrator did them.
Nate: They also.
utilize some of our, uh,
our, our press of the game
Laura: They did
Nate: in, the launch trailer of the
Raygan: oh that's right.
Yeah.
Nate: know, we're a small show.
We don't, we, we've had interactions
over the years with, with developers
and whatnot, but I think that was the
first time we were actually included
in a games launch trailer, like Right.
Raygan: Mm-hmm.
Nate: other major
Laura: real outlets.
Shane: that that they used from us?
I have something.
Nate: I don't, I don't know.
I could probably
Laura: It, it was something
very positive and glowing.
Raygan: or something like that.
Nate: You know, boil
Raygan: Hmm.
Nate: statement, but it was
something positive, you know?
'cause we were very positive on that game
Laura: Oh, it was a great, it's a great
game and people should check it out.
If, if anything, um, of the
earlier controversy kept in
playing it, please go check it out.
It's such a good deduction game.
Nate: yeah.
Laura: Um,
Raygan: Really is.
Laura: yeah.
Uh, and I'll also in
like things that aren't.
Eligible for Game of the Year
because they, uh, are not, uh,
respecting your time in the slightest
and we're gonna play them forever
ruining the premise of the show.
Uh, special shout out to Ball X Pit,
which I played before this episode
started, which is well over the
amount of time for a short game.
Nate: we have an
Laura: Uh,
Nate: game, which will be coming out.
Uh, we
Laura: it rules,
Nate: This game
Laura: it's not
Nate: It does not
Laura: respectful.
Nate: a, play session.
A play session is short.
And I
Laura: minutes
Nate: initial
Laura: Grindy
Nate: we were throwing this
under the rogue light exception
that we do on the show.
but sometimes that is a, is
extended to a degree where we can no
Laura: absolutely worth covering, but like
Hades not, we can't give it the award.
Nate: no,
Laura: It's not allowed,
Raygan: that.
Yeah.
Laura: no.
Raygan: we're, we're
celebrating the wrong things.
You know, an
Laura: No,
Raygan: does not, does not make the rule.
Laura: but it's super fun and uh,
Nate: I'm also
Raygan: yeah.
Laura: yeah,
Nate: Yeah.
Laura: maybe I'll give that to
my nephew instead of a Roblox
gift card and wreck his life.
Um,
Raygan: Yeah.
Laura: just destroy him.
Raygan (2): So here we are at the
end of the time together and it
is time to talk about the actual
short game game of the year.
and we did a lot of thinking about this.
Um, and you know, again, this is
a weird year for us as a show.
We played fewer games this
year than we generally do.
Um.
we've missed out on some of the stuff
that probably would've been more up
of our, our alley, uh, especially
towards the end of the year because
we, the podcast was on a mini hiatus,
not that mini anymore, really.
we, uh, but the game that was, it
seemed pretty clear that the game of the
year, this year for us, for our game,
for, for the short game was expelled.
An Overboard game, the second game
in the in Overboard series and the
second game of the year in that series.
Now, I, I worried about this.
Raygan: In is incredible.
I still think, um, heaven's
Vault is their best game.
Heaven's Vault is incredible
Laura: ineligible for Game
of the Year because it's.
Raygan: of the Year
because it was too long.
But it an incredible game that
I think gets slept on too much.
Uh, it
Laura: honestly one of my
favorite episodes 'cause my
friend who was a classist was on
it and talked about linguistics.
So if you haven't ever listened
to it, she was awesome as a guest.
Continue, sorry.
Raygan: the novels of that, by the way?
I still haven't gotten around to them.
Laura: I, uh, asked her for Christmas, so.
Raygan: only available as print.
I think they were even just only available
as hardbacks, and I just couldn't justify.
And now they're actually
out as a eBooks and um.
Nate: the only physical books
I buy anymore are printouts
of my favorite tweets.
So I'm
Raygan: that's literally
Laura: True.
Raygan: the case.
You've, you're making fun of me.
But I have a printout of all, or not all,
Laura: You showed at the
beginning of the episode,
Raygan: No, that was,
Laura: that is how long we've been going.
Raygan: That was the Patreon part, right?
Nate: that
Raygan: Oh, was in this one.
I thought it was in the Patreon's
exclusive part at the beginning.
Anyway, there we go.
Shane: the joke now is that you
guys have explained the joke.
Yeah.
Raygan: the best part.
Um, well
Laura: That is the best part.
Raygan: expelled is incredible.
I didn't think that game would be
seizable in the way that it was.
it, it, it, it, it was, it took
everything I liked about, um, overboard
and expanded on it and extended it.
And it was, uh, it was surprising.
It had many things about it that
were like there for, if you played
overboard, you would love them even
more, but it stood totally on its own.
Um, different setting, different
stakes, different characters.
Um.
Uh, similar but even
slightly different mechanics.
Uh, and just a absolute wild puzzle box.
Not puzzle boxes, that's the wrong word.
Although it is kind of that, I mean like
clockwork of like mechanic narrative.
Like the narrative in this game is the
mechanic and it's so insane that it
fits together as perfectly as it does
with all of its different moving pieces.
Um.
So I, I mean, I don't want to
talk people's ear off about this
game because we did that already.
We did two episodes.
We did a, a great, I thought
de hooting our own horn.
Uh, I thought our episode on the
game, uh, first episode was mostly
focused on mechanics and setup,
and then there was a second episode
with just spoilers about the story.
Um, I super enjoy doing those
episodes, but I also, uh, thought
they came out really well.
So if you haven't played that game.
It's one of the best
things this year by far.
And it's, it was an incredible video game.
Um, it's on everything.
You can play it on your, your
iPad, I think even phone now.
Um, I think you can, I mean, you obviously
can get it on Steam, all the different
places, and it's so worth your time.
It's just an incredible game.
Laura: I'll say that for me, a game that
I, if I haven't beat it before, recording
a game that I keep playing is usually the
sign that that's the game of the year.
And for me, that, um, happened
a couple times this year.
It happened with Real World,
which is one of our, uh, lost
episodes that y'all might find.
Um, played Real world.
Raygan: They're coming
to you, especially if
Laura: coming to you.
Nate: We're
Raygan: Mm-hmm.
Nate: the short game minds and we're
gonna uncover these lost episodes.
Laura: Yeah.
Uh, ball x pit, as I've talked about.
Can't stop playing it.
But, uh, expelled, even after
the spoilers conversation,
that fuels me to go play more.
'cause people said, have
you tried this route?
And I hadn't.
And then I went and pursued it even
after recording, just for my own benefit.
So, um.
These games are kind of like the
Ryan Johnson Knives Out movies.
I hope there are a
million Overboard likes.
I hope they don't get, um, you know, make
as many of them as make you happy Ankle.
Don't make them just for my sake,
but if you feel like making more,
I will play the shit out of them.
Raygan: probably make
them game of the year.
Nate: I I
Laura: Probably
Nate: another one that's just
like this, then we probably, I
Laura: we won't.
Nate: I, this was a fundamentally
different experience than Overboard
Raygan: Mm-hmm.
Nate: of like, we're reading and
looking at characters on a screen, like
the gameplay differently, it was far
more, uh, there were far more options,
far more in like, uh, complicated.
Um, it was just, it's a significantly
bigger game than Overboard.
And I, I think that even if we had played.
Um, you know, far more games this year.
This still probably ends up
Laura: Would've been in the top.
Mm-hmm.
Nate: mean, I can't say that for
sure 'cause I don't know what
Laura: Or towards the top.
Nate: but, it would've been
up there if not a winner.
'cause this is straight to the
heart of what we like on this show.
Uh, so I, I think, uh, well deserved,
like Reagan said, go listen to
the other episodes, play the game.
It's cheap, it's available
everywhere, and it's wonderful.
So.
Raygan: Mm-hmm.
And I think that's about it.
So, listeners, thank you for joining
us on this episode of The Short
Game and for this wild of the show.
Um, we're gonna be bringing you
a lot of short game in 2026.
Uh, it we're, we're, again, we're.
We're starting season two.
Nate: are back
Raygan: I can't wait for season two
Nate: The reviews are in show's.
Been picked up for a second season.
I was
Raygan: after, after only 10 plus years.
We are picked up for a
second season and, um.
We're excited that, but we're, you know,
we're also refocusing and finding new way.
We're, we're 10 years older than
we were when we started the show.
We are, we are, um, you
know, significantly more.
Um, uh, we, we, we we're
Laura: Committed to other things.
Raygan: that,
Laura: that's the nice phrase.
Shane: uh, we started this show because
we were like, oh, we need games that
don't, uh, take up too much of our time.
And now I look back at the
amount of time that I had we
Raygan: Just oceans of
Laura: Several of us weren't
married when we started.
The
Nate: Mo.
Yeah.
Uh, most of us weren't,
Laura: most of us weren't
Nate: Yeah.
yeah.
Raygan: yeah.
And yet, you know, here we are, the
concept of let's play games that are
short, continues to be a compelling one.
Laura: and valuable.
Mm-hmm.
Raygan: in some ways like.
You know, 10 years ago when we started the
show, I've said this before, the the idea
of like a game that is short is a good
thing and something you should seek out,
um, was much more controversial, I guess.
Or not controversial exactly,
but certainly like a less widely
held opinion than now and.
And, you know, felt like
more of a unique niche.
Uh, now it sort of feel like, feels
like we won already a few years ago.
And now it's just, you know,
we're, we're mostly looking at
this from a perspective of, um.
You know, finding the games that
appeal to us on many other axes.
Um, but that's fine because there's
still a lot to explore there.
And we have a lot of, you know,
it's, it's not just like, let's look
only at games that are three hours
than that, that are out on steam.
We are, we also have others, other
aesthetic and mechanic and narrative axes
that are harder to specifically define.
But if you share.
Tastes with us.
We are really glad to have you along
and we're eager to play more stuff
in the 20, in the new year, in 2026.
So, um, you know, join us for that.
Um, we're refocusing on.
Uh, making sure we ha take, can
take the time to focus on the games
that we're interested in, doing
a game every two weeks like we
mentioned, instead of what, every one
alternating between that and more topic
focused, uh, patron exclusive stuff.
Um, and, uh, I'm really eager to
try this new format and I'm glad
to be able to get back to talking
with, uh, with you guys every week.
So here we go.
2026,
Laura: Hey,
Raygan: New Year
Laura: happy New Year.
Raygan: and Merry Christmas and all.
Nate: We're just as
Raygan: Just as good as.
Nate: at ending episodes.
Raygan: Mm-hmm.
Right.
Um, and, uh, thanks listeners.
You could, oh, other places you
could find us on the internet.
Uh, main places, short game fm.
Um, we're also kind of going through
and changing up some of the way
we do our, the, it doesn't matter
the behind the scenes tech stuff,
we're, we're, uh, probably changing
the way that the show's hosted.
So the main place to
look is short Game fm.
That's the page with all
the links and buttons.
Don't worry if you
can't find us someplace.
It'll be there.
Go to short game fm.
Um, uh, we're not on socials anymore,
so I feel like we can kind of skip that.
like, I'm not using anything.
If you want to contact me, go on Discord.
Like we said, our discord is open now it's
open to anybody who wants to chat with us.
And, uh, you can just go in there and ping
me if that's a thing that you wanna do.
I may regret that, but I think our
traffic will be manageable, so,
Nate: If
Raygan: um
Nate: me, ping Reagan first.
He'll act as a filter and then
Laura: Mm-hmm.
Nate: send
Laura: He's our concierge.
Raygan: Yeah.
Nate: Uhhuh
Raygan: hey, ping us
on Discord if you want.
Or don't ping us.
Like that's rude, right?
But like go on our Discorded talk.
Laura: Say hi.
Join our welcome channel.
Raygan: yeah,
Laura: Introduce yourself,
Raygan: the games that you
like, recommend things.
The recommendations channel
continues to be the best part.
Um, so do all of that.
Uh, I've been Reagan Kelly.
Laura: Lauren Ash.
Nate: Nate Heininger.
Shane: Still that old Shane Kelly.
Raygan: And, uh, thanks once
again for joining us on this
episode of the Short Game.